Where we share the beauty of the changing seasons on our 48 acre off grid homestead in the Cariboo Chilcotin. Where Touch Wood Rings are created, and where we live and work and play. 'The Homestone' is the name of the boulder that marks the entrance to our place.

The Homestone

Friday, December 31, 2010

New Year's Eve on the Meadow. It been quiet and sunny although pretty cold ... but warm and cozy inside.
We had friends over last night for dinner and a visit. A rare thing indeed when we live so far from most everyone we know. It was a great evening ~ full of laughter and good conversation and a rousing game of scrabble too; which I lost to our 7 year old visitor much to his delight. A rematch has been requested.Did you know ... that before midnight on New Year's Eve, temple bells across Japan begin to toll slowly 108 times. It's called joya-no-kane. According to Japanese custom, this symbolically welcomes the New Year and curbs the 108 bonno (mortal desires) which, according to Buddhist belief, torment humankind. It is hoped that with each reverberation the bad experiences, wrong deeds, and ill luck of the past year will be wiped away. Thus, tolling heralds the start of a joyous, fresh New Year.

And so with that; let the bells ring out ~ and with the tolling of the bells we send our love and our very best wishes to all for a fulfilling, happy and healthy new year.